Leavitts recalled at golf tournament Event raises $20,000 for Jimmy Fund

ORONO – Enjoying the company of friends and acquaintances while taking advantage of Maine’s scenic outdoors and the recreational opportunities it provides.

That was the framework of the writing done by famed former Bangor Daily News outdoor columnist and executive sports editor Bud Leavitt.

On Monday, nearly 100 people turned out at steamy Penobscot Valley Country Club to spend the day with friends on the plush links during the 12th Bud and Barbara Leavitt Memorial Golf Classic.

The tournament, established in 1991 after Bud’s wife, Barbara Leavitt, died of cancer, has been an annual fund-raiser for The Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, which specializes in the treatment of cancer.

Bud Leavitt’s name was added to the event title after he died of cancer 1994. The tournament is a tribute to the Leavitts and the hundreds of Mainers who are diagnosed with cancer every year.

Monday’s tourney was expected to raise an estimated $20,000 for The Jimmy Fund, according Kelli Hurley of UNICEL which, under the direction of Rick O’Connor, organizes the event and serves as one of its major sponsors.

The Leavitt Memorial Golf Classic will have raised more than $250,000 in 12 years once this year’s proceeds have been counted.

The Jimmy Fund conducts approximately 150 golf tournaments throughout New England each year to raise money for the fight against cancer.

Among the local celebrities who played in the tournament were University of Maine baseball coach Paul Kostacopoulos and men’s hockey coach Tim Whitehead, along with NEWS outdoor writer John Holyoke.

Also in attendance were former UMaine basketball coach Skip Chappelle, oncologist Rick Polkinghorn, the Leavitts’ son-in-law, and Alden Leavitt, one of Bud Leavitt’s cousins.

While out on the golf course, it is easy to get wrapped up in the experience. There are tense moments when players concentrate on their shots, but there are plenty of laughs and an occasional “high-five” when the shots are on target.

Bud certainly would have appreciated hearing some of those shouts of joy and the frequent laughter that characterized Monday’s tournament.

For at least a few short hours, some of life’s problems can be pushed into the background.

On a personal note, however, I couldn’t help but think Monday about two people in my extended family who are dealing with cancer this summer.

Cousin Melissa and sister-in-law Eida can’t afford to take anything for granted as they undergo treatment for breast cancer and they probably aren’t feeling well enough to play golf.

Yet they can take comfort in the knowledge the people supporting The Jimmy Fund’s numerous golf tournaments and the many others who support cancer research are aiding in the difficult fight to find a cure for the disease while helping those are afflicted with it.

While Bud Leavitt would have thoroughly enjoyed a day on the golf course, he and Barbara would probably be even more moved to see how generously Mainers have supported The Jimmy Fund through the Leavitt Memorial Golf Classic.

Bangor all-sports radio station WZON joined in the spirit of the day Monday as it aired the annual Jimmy Fund Radiothon.